We camped at the Grand Canyon three nights at Mather Campground so we could aptly explore this Wonder of the World.
We drove up from Flagstaff, and got our first magnificent view of the Grand Canyon at Yaki Point. We hiked down the South Kaibab Trail about a half mile and back up before walking the Rim Trail back to the Visitors Center and returning to our campsite for the evening.
The next morning, my husband noticed five elk walking through our campsite. So we woke up and marveled at these creatures who did not seem to mind our presence so long as they could munch on grass and anything else campers had left behind. Apparently, our neighbors had something yummy under their picnic table. The campers slept in as one sneaky and super quiet elk ate whatever they had left under the table and then walked away, apparently satisfied.
We ate a good breakfast and packed sandwiches because we knew we would need some calories today to hike the Bright Angel Trail. We did not want to overdo it, so we only hiked 1.5 miles down this steep trail into the canyon to a rest area that had a restroom and water station. We saw a sticker that said: "Hiking down is optional, but hiking up is mandatory." and we had read that it takes twice as long to go up as it does to go down.
The views on Bright Angel Trail grew more fantastic as you worked your way down. We started in sweatshirts and ended up in t-shirts. It was warm enough in April, so I cannot imagine doing it in the summer when, signs warn, it can be 100 degrees in the shade. We took several breaks on the way back up, and I was glad the kids had their own Camelbacks so they could carry their own water. By the end of our hike, we were exhausted, but we felt like we had accomplished something "Grand."
The next day, we explored the Watch Tower on the eastern side of Grand Canyon. Inside the beautifully decorated Watch Tower, a piece of art tells the story of a Native American who was curious about where the Colorado River ran. His father blessed him and allowed him a journey to explore. In California, he met a tribe of Indians who called themselves "snake people." The chief let him marry one of his daughters, and he returned.
We then visited a Native American settlement at the Tusayan ruins, and tried to imagine what it would be like to live at the Grand Canyon 800 years ago.
We noticed rain in the direction of our campsite, and turns out, our tent and sleeping bags had gotten wet. With this being a 10-day trip, we decided that would be Laundry Night. So we washed our clothes and sleeping bags and took $2, 8-minute showers at the Mather Campground laundromat. The best thing about having access to a laundromat is that you can get all your laundry done in less than two hours.
The weather forecast had snow in it for that evening (in mid-April), so we slept in our car that night. It didn't snow, but since we were already in the car, and since I happened to wake up around 5:45 a.m., we drove to Yavapai Point and watched the sun rise over the Grand Canyon. It was absolutely breath-taking.
The next morning, we took down camp and drove to Antelope Canyon for our already-reserved tour of this awe-inspiring slot canyon.
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